Axle adjacent mounted bicycle mirror assembly

ABSTRACT

A rear view mirror for a bicycle is mounted on the front wheel fork close to the wheel axis by attaching the mirror either directly to the axle or to one arm of the fork adjacent the axle, to improve the riders field of view in the mirror.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to bicycle accessories and moreparticularly to an improved rear view mirror arrangement for a bicycle.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Because of the ever increasing popularity of bicycle riding forrecreation, sport and exercise, bicycle safety is being stressed moreand more. One bicycle accessory which contributes substantially tobicycle safety is a rear view mirror.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to mount such a rear view mirroron the handle bar of a bicycle. This mounting arrangement has certaindisadvantages which the present invention overcomes. First, mounting themirror on the handle bar locates the mirror at the level of the rider'supper body portion. This portion of the body, measured from theouterside of one arm to the outerside of the other arm, is relativelywide, with the result that such upper body portion projects asubstantial distance beyond each side of the bicycle frame and oftenobstructs the rider's field of view in the mirror. Secondly, thearrangement of the handle bar, brakes and shift lever of a racingbicycle is such that the rider shifts the position of his hands and armsquite frequently when operating the brakes and shift lever. In many ofthese positions, the rider's field of view in the mirror is at leastpartially obstructed.

With a handle bar mounted mirror, the only way of avoiding suchobstruction of the rider's field of view is to provide the mirror with amounting bracket which is sufficiently long to locate the mirror asubstantial distance laterally outboard of the handle bar. This outboardlocation of the mirror is undesirable since it renders the mirror proneto damage, is inconvenient when storing the bicycle, and requires arelatively rugged and costly mirror mounting bracket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides an improved mounting arrangement for a bicyclerear view mirror which avoids the foregoing and other disadvantages of ahandle bar mounted mirror. According to the invention, a mirror,preferably a convex mirror, is mounted on the front wheel frame forkclose to the front wheel axis. This placement of the mirror locates thelatter at the level of the bicycle pedals and hence at the level of therider's feet and legs. The rider's legs are normally positioned close tothe bicycle frame and present a substantially smaller overall width andlateral projection beyond the frame than the rider's upper body portion.Moreover, during the upper half of each rotation of the adjacent bicyclepedal, the corresponding leg and foot of the rider are elevated abovethe level of the mirror.

Accordingly, the present bicycle mounting arrangement is such that evena relatively small lateral projection of the mirror beyond the frontwheel fork provides the rider with a substantially unobstructed rearview in the mirror.

Two embodiments of the invention are described. In one embodiment, themirror is mounted directly on the front wheel axle and held in positionby the front wheel axle nuts. In the second embodiment, the mirror isattached to one arm of the front wheel fork close to the wheel axle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bicycle mounting a rear view mirror inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the mirror mountingarrangement;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the mirror; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified mirror mounting arrangement according tothe invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, the illustrated bicycle 10 is conventionaland hence need not be described in elaborate detail. Suffice it to saythat the bicycle has a frame 12 including a front wheel fork 14 which isjournaled in a bearing 16 at the front end of the main frame portion 18and mounts a handle bar 20 for steering the bicycle by turning the fork.The fork mounts a front wheel 22 and the main frame portion mounts arear wheel 24. Rear wheel 24 is connected by a sprocket chain 26 to thepedal assembly 28 rotatable on the main frame portion.

The front frame fork 14 has arms 30 which straddle the front wheel 22.The lower ends of these arms have openings receiving the threaded endsof the front wheel axle 32. The axle is fixed to the fork arms by nuts34 threaded on the outer axle ends and backed up by washers 36 on theaxle.

According to this invention, the mirror 38, preferably a convex mirror,is mounted, by means of a bracket 40, on the front wheel frame fork 14close to the axis of the front wheel 22. The mirror is adjustable tosuit the rider. As noted earlier, this mirror placement locates themirror at the level of the pedal assembly 28 and provides the rider witha relatively unobstructed rear view in the mirror.

In FIGS. 1-3, the mirror 38 is mounted directly on the front wheel axle32. To this end, the mirror mounting bracket 40 includes a flat platelike arm 42 which is longitudinally slotted at one end at 44 to fit overone threaded end of the axle between the corresponding axle nut 34 andwasher 36. The nut is tightened to firmly secure the arm to the axle.Extending through the opposite or outer end of the arm 42, normal to itsplane, is a rod 46 which is firmly fixed to the arm by nuts 48 threadedon the rod at opposite sides of the arm. Mirror 38 is mounted on theopposite or outer end of the rod by a ball and socket coupling 50.

It will now be understood that when the mirror assembly, comprising themirror 38 and its mounting bracket 40, is mounted on the bicycle 10, thebracket arm 42 is disposed in a plane normal to the axis of the frontwheel 22, the bracket rod 46 parallels the axis and extends laterallyout from the front wheel frame fork 14 and the mirror faces generallyrearwardly and upwardly, laterally of the bracket rod. The mirrorassembly has three adjustments. One adjustment involves rotation of thebracket arm 42 about the front wheel axle 32 by loosening the adjacentaxle nut 34. The second adjustment involves rotation of the bracket rod46 about its longitudinal axis by loosening the rod nuts 48. The thirdadjustment involves swivel adjustment of the mirror 38 relative to therod 46 about the swivel center of the ball and socket coupling 50. Theseadjustments enable the rider to position the mirror for a relativelyunobstructed rear view, as described earlier.

The modified mirror assembly of FIG. 4 is similar to that of FIGS. 1-3except that the bracket arm 42 of the latter figures is replaced by aclamp arm 42a for attaching the assembly to one arm 30 of the frontwheel fork 14. This modified mirror assembly is mounted on the lower endof the fork arm close to the front wheel axle 32 to provide the riderwith the same unobstructed rear view in the mirror 38a as in the mirrorassembly of FIGS. 1-3.

The Inventor claims:
 1. In combination:a bicycle comprising a frame including a rotatable front fork having spaced arms, and wheels including a front wheel positioned between and rotatably mounted on said fork arms, and a rear view mirror assembly mounted on one of said fork arms close to the front wheel axis including a mirror reflector disposed laterally outboard of said fork.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:said mirror assembly comprises a mounting bracket including a rod extending outwardly from said fork arm generally parallel to said front wheel axis, means mounting the inner end of said rod on said fork arm, and means mounting said mirror reflector on the outer end of said rod.
 3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein:said mounting bracket includes means for rotatably adjusting said rod about its longitudinal axis, and said mirror reflector mounting means comprises a ball and socket coupling.
 4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein:said front wheel has an axle extending through said fork arms, nuts threaded on the ends of said axle for securing the latter to said fork arms, and said rod mounting means comprises an arm secured to and extending laterally of said inner rod end and positioned over and in a transverse plane of said axle between one fork arm and the adjacent axle nut.
 5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein:said rod arm is slotted to receive said axle and is adjustable about the axle.
 6. The combination according to claim 3, wherein:said rod mounting means comprises a clamp attached to one fork arm.
 7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:said front wheel has an axle extending through said fork arms, nuts threaded on the ends of said axle for securing the latter to said fork arms, and said rod mounting means comprises an arm secured to and extending laterally of said inner rod end and positioned over and in a transverse plane of said axle between one fork arm and the adjacent axle nut.
 8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein:said rod arm is slotted to receive said axle and is adjustable about the axle.
 9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:said rod mounting means comprises a clamp attached to one fork arm.
 10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein:said mirror reflector is a convex reflector.
 11. A rear view mirror assembly for a bicycle comprising:a frame including a rotatable front fork having spaced arms, and wheels including a front wheel positioned between and rotatably mounted on said fork arms, a mounting bracket including a rod, and means at one end of said rod for mounting said rod on one of said front bicycle fork arms close to the front wheel axis with the rod extending laterally from the fork generally parallel to said axis, a mirror reflector, and means mounting said reflector on the other end of said rod with the mirror facing laterally of the rod.
 12. A mirror assembly according to claim 10 wherein:said rod mounting means comprises an arm extending laterally of said rod and having an opening for receiving the front wheel axle, and said mirror mounting means comprises a ball and socket coupling.
 13. A mirror assembly according to claim 11 wherein:said rod mounting means comprises means securing said rod to said rod arm for rotatable adjustment of said rod about its longitudinal axis relative to said rod arm, and said rod arm opening comprises a slot opening through the outer end of said rod arm.
 14. A mirror assembly according to claim 10 wherein:said rod mounting means comprises a clamp for attachment to one fork arm, and said mirror mounting means comprises a ball and socket coupling.
 15. A mirror assembly according to claim 13 wherein:said rod mounting means comprises means securing said rod to said clamp for rotatable adjustment of said rod about its longitudinal axis relative to said clamp. 